One of 35 Leaders Selected for a Prestigious Program Developing the Next Generation of Community College Leaders
Cochise College and the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program announced that James Perey, Ed.D., Executive Vice President for Academics, is one of 35 leaders for the 2023-24 class of the Aspen Rising Presidents Fellowship. This fellowship, developed in partnership with the Stanford Educational Leadership Initiative, is designed to equip the future generation of community college presidents with the necessary tools to drive positive change and increase student success by promoting higher and more equitable levels of education.
“I am honored to support and congratulate Dr. Perey for his well-deserved recognition as an Aspen Rising Presidents Fellow,” said Cochise College President Dr. J.D. Rottweiler. “His leadership and strong commitment to higher education are a testament to his outstanding contributions overseeing success through our academic divisions, outreach and workforce development. We look forward to seeing his continued achievements in the future.”
The Aspen Presidential Fellows represent the upcoming group of college leadership. Carefully chosen through a rigorous selection process, these fellows will collaborate with distinguished community college presidents, Aspen leaders and Stanford University faculty for a period of ten months. During this time, they will learn from field-leading research, define and assess student success at their colleges, and clarify their visions for excellent and equitable outcomes for students while in college and after they graduate.
“Each cohort of the Rising Presidents Fellowship is different,” said Josh Wyner, executive director of the College Excellence Program. “And they all share a passion for advancing excellence and equity in student outcomes and the commitment to ensure that the colleges they lead continuously improve.”
“Being selected for the Aspen Rising Presidents Fellowship is an incredible honor, as it provides me an opportunity learn, grow, and make a positive difference for our students,” said Dr. Perey. “The curriculum’s focus on equitable student success strategies, cultural change leadership, and collective action partnerships enables me to apply practical methods to enhance student success that will directly benefit our college.”
Rising Presidents Fellows aspire to enter a college presidency within five years of completing the fellowship. As fellows, they join a network of over 300 forward-thinking peers—155 of whom are sitting college presidents—applying grounded and innovative strategies to meet student success challenges in their colleges.